Limousine Elegance Not Limited To The Rich

People

Whether it`s fear of more stringent drunken-driving laws or simply a craving for a taste of elegance, more people who aren`t rich or famous are treating themselves to chauffeured limousine service.

In days past, if you pulled up beside a stretch limo at a stoplight, you assumed the passenger was a celebrity of sorts. You could swear you spotted Burt Reynolds or Tina Turner behind those tinted windows.

Well, no more.

High school students, football fans, newlyweds, real estate agents, new parents, conventioneers, concertgoers, and people out for a night on the town are taking spins in the four-wheel luxury liners.

Last weekend, Kim Celenz, a sophomore at Hollywood Hills High School, and friends drove to their homecoming dance in a rented white limo. A jeep may have been more appropriate, considering the homecoming theme was ``safari.`` But Celenz wouldn`t give up a chance to ride in a limo.

``It`s not something you do every day,`` said Celenz, a Davie resident. ``It`s different. It`s going in style.

``People look in and expect to see a movie star.``

Not only do the limos offer transportation, the cars` amenities make a long drive a pleasure. Passengers wonder if they even left home. They can talk on the telephone, watch a favorite TV show, listen to tunes, pour a drink, roll back the moon roof, enjoy the cushy ride. A good time is limited only by the passenger`s imagination.

``It`s getting to be a living room inside those cars. Pretty soon, we`ll be putting beds in there,`` joked John Diprato, owner of Stardust Limos in Lighthouse Point.

Every time the Miami Dolphins play at the Orange Bowl, Ron Meyer rounds up four or five fellow fans, rents a limo and bequeaths all the driving hassles to the chauffeur.

``Basically, we like to drink and have a good time, and this way, we don`t have to worry about getting pulled over and arrested,`` said Meyer, a Fort Lauderdale resident. ``One DWI ticket and you can lose your license. To me, it`s worth it.``

Meyer, a salesman, rents limos from Stardust Limos essentially because Stardust has a parking space directly in front of the Orange Bowl.

``It beats walking six or seven blocks to see a game,`` he said.

Since laws to curb drunk drivers went into effect, the number of physicians, attorneys, architects and other professionals using limos has increased, reported Bill Herold of Champagne Limousines in Sunrise.

``Under normal circumstances, they wouldn`t use the service when they go out for dinner and drinks. But the possibility of getting a ticket is enough to bring them to us,`` said Herold, adding that a drunken-driving ticket could taint a professional`s credibility.

Penalties for driving while intoxicated range from a fine and license revocation to a year in jail.

But it`s not just new drunken-driving laws that are putting middle-income riders into limos, according to Bob Glick, general manager of Cars of the Rich and Famous in Dania. Glick believes a general trend toward elegance accounts for the recent surge of interest in limos.

``There used to be more emphasis on sports whether it be sports cars or sportswear,`` Glick said. ``But today, elegance and sophistication is more fashionable and this is filtering down to what kind of car people want to ride in.``

A taxi just doesn`t cut it, he said.

For Brad Staskowski of Plantation, riding in a gray limo with black leather interior drew stares and questions at Nova High School`s homecoming dance last weekend.

Affordable package deals, often available at limousine rental services, enabled the high school students to share the cost. Hourly rates, which vary according to the size of the limo and equipment included, range from $35 to $75 an hour in the Broward County area.

``It was really nice, even better than I expected,`` said Staskowski, a sophomore. ``We rolled down the window a couple times and everyone seemed surprised to see teen-agers inside.``